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Veteran Malayalam actor Mallika Sukumaran has been part of the film industry for five decades now, and an event, Mallika Vasantham @ 50, was organised at a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday to mark her 50th year in cinema.
The event was attended by her sons, actors Prithviraj Sukumaran and Indrajith Sukumaran, as well as her daughter-in-law, actor Poornima Indrajith, among others. During the event, a visibly moved Prithviraj praised Mallika as the “strongest woman I have ever seen”.
“To survive in cinema for 50 years is nothing short of a wonder. Though she took a break in between for almost 25 years and confined herself to the role of a housewife, she managed to provide her career a seamless restart once she returned to the industry. It’s an absolute tribute to the artiste that she is,” Prithviraj said, moving Mallika to tears.
He also boasted that he might be the only person in the world to have received the opportunity to act alongside his mother and produce and direct the movies she was a part of. “I am very proud that I received such opportunities. Every time I act with her or direct her, I come to the realisation that she’s the most talented actor and artiste in our family. She has a lot more to offer to cinema.”
Recalling an instance from his childhood when his father, legendary actor Sukumaran, passed away, a visibly emotional Prithviraj said, “We were going to Thiruvananthapuram from Ernakulam with our father’s mortal remains. My mother was alone in another vehicle, while my brother and I were with dad in an ambulance.
“At that moment, I had only one question on my mind: ‘What will my mother do now?’ The answer to that question is right in front of you in the form of my brother and me,” he added with a lump in his throat.
Mallika Vasantham @ 50 was inaugurated by Kerala Law Minister P Rajeeve, while Food and Civil Supplies Minister GR Anil presided over the event.
Mallika Sukumaran, 69, made her film debut in 1974 through KS Sethumadhavan’s Kamal Haasan and Rita Bhaduri-starrer Kanyakumari. She won the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress for her performance in legendary director KG George’s Swapnadanam (1974).
She tied the knot with actor Sukumaran in 1978 and took a hiatus from acting to focus on family. The couple had their first son, Indrajith, in 1979 and were blessed with Prithviraj in 1982. In 1997, Sukumaran suffered a massive heart attack and died at the age of 49.
Mallika returned to cinema in 2001 and has since appeared in numerous TV serials too. Her most recent film appearance was in M Padmakumar’s Queen Elizabeth in 2023.
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